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In this work, we utilize our recently developed machine learning (ML)-corrected ab initio dispersion (aiD) potential, known as D3-ML, which is based on the comprehensive SAPT10K dataset and relies solely on Cartesian coordinates as input, to address the dispersion deficiencies in second-order Møller−Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) by replacing its problematic dispersion and exchange-dispersion terms with D3-ML. This leads to the development of a new dispersion-corrected MP2 method, MP2+aiD(CCD), which outperforms other spin-component-scaled and dispersion-corrected MP2 methods as well as popular ML models for predicting noncovalent interactions across various datasets, including S66 × 8, NAP6 (containing 6 naphthalene dimers), L7, S12L, DNA−ellipticine, the C60 dimer, and C60[6]CPPA. In addition, MP2+aiD(CCD) exhibits comparable or even superior performance compared to the contemporary ωB97M-V functional. The limited performance of pure ML models for systems outside the training set or larger than those in the training set highlights their instability and unpredictability. Conversely, the outstanding performance and transferability of the hybrid MP2+aiD(CCD) method can be attributed to the fusion of the physical electronic structure method and a data-driven ML model, combining the strengths of both sides. This investigation firmly establishes MP2+aiD(CCD) as one of the most accurate and reliable fifth-order scaling correlated wave function methods currently available for modeling noncovalent interactions, even for large complexes. MP2+aiD(CCD) is expected to be reliably applicable in investigating real-life complexes at the hundred-atom scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we introduce SAPT10K, a comprehensive dataset comprising 9982 noncovalent interaction energies and their binding energy components (electrostatics, exchange, induction, and dispersion) for diverse intermolecular complexes of 944 unique dimers. These complexes cover significant portions of the intermolecular potential energy surface and were computed using higher-order symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, SAPT2+(3)(CCD), with a large aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. The dispersion energy values in SAPT10K serve as crucial inputs for refining the ab initio dispersion potentials based on Grimme's D3 and many-body dispersion (MBD) models. Additionally, Δ machine learning (ML) models based on newly developed intermolecular features, which are derived from intermolecular histograms of distances for element/substructure pairs to simultaneously account for local environments as well as long-range correlations, are also developed to address deficiencies of the D3/MBD models, including the inflexibility of their functional forms, the absence of MBD contributions in D3, and the standard Hirshfeld partitioning scheme used in MBD. The developed dispersion models can be applied to complexes involving a wide range of elements and charged monomers, surpassing other popular ML models, which are limited to systems with only neutral monomers and specific elements. The efficient D3-ML model, with Cartesian coordinates as the sole input, demonstrates promising results on a testing set comprising 6714 dimers, outperforming another popular ML model, component-based machine-learned intermolecular force field (CLIFF), by 1.5 times. These refined D3/MBD-ML models have the capability to replace the time-consuming dispersion components in symmetry-adapted perturbation theory-based calculations and can promptly illustrate the dispersion contribution in noncovalent complexes for supramolecular assembly and chemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we develop an accurate and efficient XGBoost machine learning model for predicting the global-density-dependent range-separation parameter, ωGDD, for long-range corrected functional (LRC)-ωPBE. This ω GDD ML model has been built using a wide range of systems (11 466 complexes, ten different elements, and up to 139 heavy atoms) with fingerprints for the local atomic environment and histograms of distances for the long-range atomic correlation for mapping the quantum mechanical range-separation values. The promising performance on the testing set with 7046 complexes shows a mean absolute error of 0.001 117 a 0 − 1 and only five systems (0.07%) with an absolute error larger than 0.01 a 0 − 1 , which indicates the good transferability of our ω GDD ML model. In addition, the only required input to obtain ω GDD ML is the Cartesian coordinates without electronic structure calculations, thereby enabling rapid predictions. LRC-ωPBE ( ω GDD ML ) is used to predict polarizabilities for a series of oligomers, where polarizabilities are sensitive to the asymptotic density decay and are crucial in a variety of applications, including the calculations of dispersion corrections and refractive index, and surpasses the performance of all other popular density functionals except for the non-tuned LRC-ωPBE. Finally, LRC-ωPBE ( ω GDD ML ) combined with (extended) symmetry-adapted perturbation theory is used in calculating noncovalent interactions to further show that the traditional ab initio system-specific tuning procedure can be bypassed. The present study not only provides an accurate and efficient way to determine the range-separation parameter for LRC-ωPBE but also shows the synergistic benefits of fusing the power of physically inspired density functional LRC-ωPBE and the data-driven ω GDD ML model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While short-range noncovalent interactions (NCIs) are proving to be of importance in many chemical and biological systems, these atypical bindings happen within the so-called van der Waals envelope and pose an enormous challenge for current computational methods. We introduce SNCIAA, a database of 723 benchmark interaction energies of short-range noncovalent interactions between neutral/charged amino acids originated from protein x-ray crystal structures at the "gold standard" coupled-cluster with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples/complete basis set [CCSD(T)/CBS] level of theory with a mean absolute binding uncertainty less than 0.1 kcal/mol. Subsequently, a systematic assessment of commonly used computational methods, such as the second-order Møller−Plesset theory (MP2), density functional theory (DFT), symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT), composite electronic-structure methods, semiempirical approaches, and the physical-based potentials with machine learning (IPML) on SNCIAA is carried out. It is shown that the inclusion of dispersion corrections is essential even though these dimers are dominated by electrostatics, such as hydrogen bondings and salt bridges. Overall, MP2, ωB97M-V, and B3LYP+D4 turned out to be the most reliable methods for the description of short-range NCIs even in strongly attractive/repulsive complexes. SAPT is also recommended in describing short-range NCIs only if the δMP2 correction has been included. The good performance of IPML for dimers at close-equilibrium and long-range conditions is not transferable to the short-range. We expect that SNCIAA will assist the development/improvement/validation of computational methods, such as DFT, force-fields, and ML models, in describing NCIs across entire potential energy surfaces (short-, intermediate-, and long-range NCIs) on the same footing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This graduate student literature review provides an examination of the ontological adaptations of the calf's immune system and how the intestinal microbiota influences calf immune function in health and disease. Within dairy rearing systems, various nutritional and management factors have emerged as critical determinants of development influencing multiple physiological axes in the calf. Furthermore, we discuss how multiple pre- and postnatal maternal factors influence the trajectory of immune development in favor of establishing regulatory networks to successfully cope with the new environment, while providing early immune protection via immune passive transfer from colostrum. Additionally, our review provides insights into the current understanding of how the intestinal microbiota contributes to the development of the intestinal and systemic immune system in calves. Lastly, we address potential concerns related to the use of prophylactic antimicrobials and waste milk, specifically examining their adverse effects on intestinal health and metabolic function. By examining these factors, we aim to better understand the intricate relationship between current management practices and their long-term effect on animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastrointestinal microbial consortium in dairy cattle is critical to determining the energetic status of the dairy cow from birth through her final lactation. The ruminant's microbial community can degrade a wide variety of feedstuffs, which can affect growth, as well as production rate and efficiency on the farm, but can also affect food safety, animal health, and environmental impacts of dairy production. Gut microbial diversity and density are powerful tools that can be harnessed to benefit both producers and consumers. The incentives in the United States to develop Alternatives to Antibiotics for use in food-animal production have been largely driven by the Veterinary Feed Directive and have led to an increased use of probiotic approaches to alter the gastrointestinal microbial community composition, resulting in improved heifer growth, milk production and efficiency, and animal health. However, the efficacy of direct-fed microbials or probiotics in dairy cattle has been highly variable due to specific microbial ecological factors within the host gut and its native microflora. Interactions (both synergistic and antagonistic) between the microbial ecosystem and the host animal physiology (including epithelial cells, immune system, hormones, enzyme activities, and epigenetics) are critical to understanding why some probiotics work but others do not. Increasing availability of next-generation sequencing approaches provides novel insights into how probiotic approaches change the microbial community composition in the gut that can potentially affect animal health (e.g., diarrhea or scours, gut integrity, foodborne pathogens), as well as animal performance (e.g., growth, reproduction, productivity) and fermentation parameters (e.g., pH, short-chain fatty acids, methane production, and microbial profiles) of cattle. However, it remains clear that all direct-fed microbials are not created equal and their efficacy remains highly variable and dependent on stage of production and farm environment. Collectively, data have demonstrated that probiotic effects are not limited to the simple mechanisms that have been traditionally hypothesized, but instead are part of a complex cascade of microbial ecological and host animal physiological effects that ultimately impact dairy production and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate gastrointestinal fermentation characteristics and permeability, and white blood cell concentrations as beef heifers recovered from a feed restriction (FR) challenge, and 2) determine whether post-ruminal provision of a yeast cell wall extract (YCW) modulated responses. Ruminally cannulated beef heifers (n = 8) were used in a 2 × 2 crossover design. Treatments (TRT) included an abomasal infusion of a placebo (PLC; maltodextrin) or YCW derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2 g/dose) infused at 0600 and 1800 h. Heifers were subject to 5-d of FR (offering 30% of ad libitum DMI) followed by five 5-d recovery phases (REC1, REC2, REC3, REC4, and REC5). Daily DMI, and rumen, fecal, and blood samples were collected on d 5 of FR, REC1, REC3, and REC5 with an additional collection on d 2 of REC1. Total gastrointestinal and post-ruminal permeability were measured using a ruminal dose of Cr-EDTA and an abomasal dose of Co-EDTA, respectively, during FR, REC1, REC3, and REC5 with concurrent urine collection. Data were analyzed to determine the effects of YCW provision, day, and the 2-way interaction. There were no TRT or TRT×day effects for any variables except DMI (interaction, P = 0.04), where DMI did not differ during the FR challenge; however, heifers provided YCW had a greater increase by REC1 compared with PLC heifers without any means differing. DMI progressively increased from FR, to REC1, REC2, and REC5. Ruminal acetate concentration increased (P < 0.01) from FR (45.4 mmol/L) to REC1 d5 (60.1 mmol/L) and increased further to REC3 (67.3 mmol/L) with no change thereafter (68.3 mmol/L in REC5). Ruminal propionate concentration increased (P < 0.01) from FR (14.5 mmol/L) to REC1 d2 (27.7 mmol/L) and was not different thereafter. Similarly, butyrate concentration increased (P < 0.01) from FR (7.9 mmol/L) to REC1 (d 5; 15.0 mmol/L) and was not different thereafter. Fecal acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations were not affected by day (P ≥ 0.12). Total gastrointestinal and post-ruminal permeability were greatest during FR (P < 0.01; 2.6% and 2.2% of the infused marker was excreted in urine, respectively) and decreased to 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively, in REC3 followed by an increase in REC5 for total (2.0% of infused) but not post-ruminal (1.0% of infused) permeability. The concentration of neutrophils (P < 0.01) was greatest on REC1 d2 (4.84 ×106 μmol/mL) and eosinophil concentration (P < 0.01) was greatest during FR (0.53 ×106 μmol/mL), least on d 2 of REC1 and increased on d 5 of REC1 but was not different thereafter. WBC (P < 0.01) gradually decreased (P = 0.02) from FR and REC1 d2 to REC3 and REC5. Post-ruminal provision of YCW may accelerate increases in DMI early in the recovery from FR, yet treatment did not modulate ruminal or fecal SCFA, blood concentrations, or gastrointestinal permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the HOMO-LUMO gaps and the optical gaps of Si and Ge nanoparticles (NPs) with various terminations and sizes using different functionals (HLE16, B3LYP, HSE-HJS) and basis sets (CRENBL, def2-SVP, def2-TZVP). The high-local-exchange functional HLE16, without Hartree–Fock exchange, effectively reproduces optical gaps using HOMO − LUMO gaps, offering a cost-effective alternative to hybrid functionals and TDDFT in nanoscale systems. Size (quantum confinement effects) and termination ligands (surface effects) significantly impact energy gaps: nonpolar CH 3 had minimal effects, while polar ligands reduced gaps notably. Finally, ECP basis sets like CRENBL are better suited for NP electronic structures than all-electron basis sets. [Display omitted] • Reproduce optical gaps using ground-state high-local-exchange functional. • Generate optical gaps w/o computational challenges of hybrid functionals and TDDFT. • Control energy gaps via the interplay of quantum confinement and surface effects. • Enhance the description of nanoparticles using effective core potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether post-ruminal provision of a yeast cell wall extract (YCW) affected gastrointestinal fermentation characteristics and permeability, and white blood cell concentrations for heifers exposed to feed restriction (FR). Ruminally cannulated beef heifers (n = 8) were used in a 2 × 2 crossover design. Treatments (TRT) included an abomasal infusion of a placebo (PLC; maltodextrin) or YCW derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2 g/dose) infused at 0600 and 1800 h. Heifers were subject to a 5-d baseline period followed by 5 d of FR where dry matter intake (DMI) was restricted to 30% of ad libitum intake. Data collection included daily DMI, and rumen, fecal and blood samples. Total gastrointestinal and post-ruminal permeability were measured using a ruminal dose of Cr-EDTA and an abomasal dose of Co-EDTA during the baseline and FR phases. Data were analyzed to determine the effects of YCW provision and phase, and the 2-way interaction. There were no TRT or TRT × phase interactions except for fecal propionate concentration. By design, DMI during FR was 30% (P < 0.01) of that observed during baseline (4.1 vs. 13.4 kg/d, respectively). The ruminal concentrations of acetate (45.4 vs. 69.2 mmol/L), propionate (14.5 vs. 26.7 mmol/L), and butyrate (9.9 vs. 16.5 mmol/L) were reduced (P < 0.01) by 34, 46, and 52%, respectively, with FR relative to baseline. Fecal propionate concentration (interaction, P = 0.04) numerically increased (P = 0.12) from baseline to FR for PLC (7.7 vs. 9.6 mmol/L, respectively), while YCW did not change among phases; however, no means differed. Exposure to FR reduced fecal butyrate concentration by 28% (P = 0.03). Gastrointestinal tract permeability (P < 0.01; 2.3 and 2.5% for total and postruminal, respectively) was greater during FR compared with baseline, with 2.0% of the Cr-EDTA and 1.6% of the Co-EDTA excreted in urine. The concentrations of neutrophils (P = 0.03) and eosinophils (P < 0.01) were greater during FR relative to baseline (2.28, 1.27 and 0.53, 0.30 ×106 cells/mL, respectively). Exposure to FR altered ruminal SCFA concentrations, increased blood concentrations of neutrophils and eosinophils, and increased gastrointestinal permeability suggesting an inflammatory response; however, post-ruminal provision of a YCW did not mitigate the response to a feed restriction challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to develop a protocol for repeated intramuscular indomethacin injections to replicate leaky-gut-like symptoms in male Holstein calves to model and study the detrimental effects of leaky gut on gut tissue function and inflammatory response. A generalized randomized block design was used to evaluate how repeated indomethacin intramuscular injections affected the development of leaky gut in 18 male Holstein calves. Animals were enrolled at 3 ± 1 d of life, and after 21 d of adaptation, they were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments consisting of intramuscular saline or indomethacin injections every 12 h for 48 h: (1) control (CTL), saline injection, (2) low intramuscular indomethacin (INDO-L) dosed at 1.2 mg/kg of body weight (BW), and (3) high intramuscular indomethacin (INDO-H) dosed at 2.4 mg/kg of BW. During the challenge, milk intake, starter intake, fecal scores, and rectal temperature were measured daily, and BW was measured at the beginning and at the end of the challenge. Plasma samples were used to measure the recovery of markers of intestinal permeability before and after the challenge by dosing lactulose, d -mannitol, and chromium-EDTA. In addition, several cytokines were measured in plasma during the challenge. Calves were dissected at the end of the challenge to obtain tissue and digesta samples from the gastrointestinal tract and liver. No treatment differences were observed for starter and milk intakes, fecal scores, BW, and rectal temperature. The difference in marker concentrations between pre and post challenges was higher for INDO calves compared with CTL calves in the case of lactulose and chromium-EDTA. In addition, chemokine ligand 2 and 4 and IL-6 were higher for INDO-H calves compared with CTL. Both doses of indomethacin resulted in reductions in villus length and surface area in the distal jejunum and ileum and reductions in crypt depth and width in the colon. We showed that repeated indomethacin injections over a 48-h period induced leaky-gut-like symptoms in a region-specific manner, affecting mainly the distal section of the intestine. This outcome was characterized by histomorphological changes in the distal jejunum, ileum, and colon and by increased gut permeability. Interestingly, changes in liver morphology and immune function also occurred, possibly due to the increased translocation of foreign antigens breaching the epithelial cell wall. The leaky gut challenge model described here could be used to improve understanding of the pathogenesis of intestinal disorders in cattle and provide a reliable alternative for testing feed additives with intestinal health benefits. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perturbations in early life gut microbiota can have long-term impacts on host health. In this study, we investigated antimicrobial-induced temporal changes in diversity, stability, and compositions of gut microbiota in neonatal veal calves, with the objective of identifying microbial markers that predict diarrhea. A total of 220 samples from 63 calves in first 8 weeks of life were used in this study. The results suggest that increase in diversity and stability of gut microbiota over time was a feature of "healthy" (non-diarrheic) calves during early life. Therapeutic antimicrobials delayed the temporal development of diversity and taxa–function robustness (a measure of microbial stability). In addition, predicted genes associated with beta lactam and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance were more abundant in gut microbiota of calves treated with therapeutic antimicrobials. Random forest machine learning algorithm revealed that Trueperella, Streptococcus, Dorea, uncultured Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcus 2, and Erysipelatoclostridium may be key microbial markers that can differentiate "healthy" and "unhealthy" (diarrheic) gut microbiota, as they predicted early life diarrhea with an accuracy of 84.3%. Our findings suggest that diarrhea in veal calves may be predicted by the shift in early life gut microbiota, which may provide an opportunity for early intervention (e.g., prebiotics or probiotics) to improve calf health with reduced usage of antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early development of immunity and microbiota in the gut of newborn calves can have life-long consequences. Gut microbiota and the intestinal barrier interplay after birth, establishing a homeostatic state whereby mucosal cells cohabit with microorganisms to develop a healthy gut. We hypothesized that postnatal codevelopment of gut immunity and microbiota could be influenced by early-life supplementation with live yeast. Starting from birth, calves either received a daily supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB, 10 × 109 cfu/d, n = 10) in the morning meal for 7 d or no supplementation (n = 10). Each animal received 2 adequate colostrum replacer meals at 2 and 12 h of life (expected total IgG fed = 300 g) before being fed milk replacer twice a day. Passive transfer of immunity (total protein, IgG, and IgA) through colostrum was evaluated and endogenous production of IgA was investigated by measuring IgA-producing plasma cells, IgA relative gene expression (PIGR and CD79A), and secretory IgA concentration in the gut. The concentration of targeted microbial groups was evaluated with quantitative PCR in the gut digesta collected at d 7 of life. Early SCB supplementation did not impair immunoglobulin absorption and all calves had successful passive transfer of immunity (serum IgG concentration >15 mg/mL at d 1 and d 7 of age). Although the expression of IgA relative gene expression (PIGR and CD79A) was not different, SCB calves had higher secretory IgA concentrations in the ileum (1.98 ± 0.12 mg/g of dry matter; DM) and colon (1.45 ± 0.12 mg/g of DM) digesta compared with control animals (1.18 and 0.59 ± 0.12 mg/g of DM, respectively). In addition, the number of IgA-producing plasma cells were greater in both ileum (2.55 ± 0.40 cells/mm2) and colon (3.03 ± 0.40 cells/mm2) tissues for SCB calves compared with control (respectively 1.00 ± 0.40 and 0.60 ± 0.42 cells/mm2). Endogenous IgA production in the gut of SCB calves was enhanced, which could make them less prone to pathogen intrusion. In addition, SCB calves had higher Lactobacillus and tended to have higher Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the jejunum compared with control calves, which suggests that SCB supplementation during early-life gut colonization may have a positive effect in newborn calves. Direct SCB supplementation or the cross-talk between SCB and bacteria may be responsible for stimulating IgA production and may play a key role in shaping early colonization in the gut of newborn calves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of non-biodegradable organics from industrial wastewater through adsorption onto activated carbon (AC) is a simple, effective and inexpensive process; however, as with any separation technology there is a need to regenerate the exhausted material. Here, electrochemical regeneration of AC was carried out in a single reactor alternating sequences of adsorption and regeneration. A key finding was that the contaminant (phenol here, as an industrially-relevant pollutant) saturation level of AC in the reactor directly impacts the efficiency of electrochemical regeneration. The regeneration efficiency was 20% lower and unstable with fully saturated AC, which could be explained by different phenol degradation pathways; upon reaching the exhaustion capacity of the reactor, electrochemical regeneration yielded recalcitrant polymers, whereas full mineralization could take place as long as the breakthrough capacity was not exceeded, even removing impurities originally present in the material. This cleaning effect further led to a change of porosity towards mesopores, which further improved mass transfers and resulted in sustained regeneration efficiencies close to 100%, sustained over 10 consecutive cycles. Under optimal conditions, it was thus possible to achieve over 97% phenol removal with energy consumption below 1 kWh kg−1 of AC, outcompeting traditional regeneration processes. Image 10334 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: At the time of controversies on surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, our aim was to describe an effective technique of hysterocolpectomy with colpocleisis for elderly patients not wishing to maintain vaginal sexual activity and present mid-term results including pelvic floor symptoms and quality of life, patient satisfaction and surgical complications using validated scores.Study Design: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients having undergone this surgery between June 2006 and June 2016. Women were examined using POP-Q classification and completed validated questionnaires concerning symptoms and quality of life before and after the surgery. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the PGI-I. Complications were described according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.Results: During the 10-year period, 37 women underwent the surgery with a mean age at surgery of 81.2 years (range: 61-93 years). One per-operative complication occurred (a rectal wound that was sutured) and five Clavien-Dindo grade 3b postoperative complications. Three repeat operations were necessary within 15 days; one suburethral sling had to be lowered because of urinary retention; one tension-free vaginal tape had to be unilaterally sectioned for acute urinary retention; and one woman presented a pararectal abscess requiring surgical drainage. The mean duration of hospitalization was 5.5 (+/-4.2) days. The mean follow-up time was 44.1 (±30.1) months. All symptoms and quality of life scores decreased significantly after the surgery and patient satisfaction was good (PGI-I score = 1.55 +/-0.8).Conclusions: Hysterocolpectomy with colpocleisis appears to be an effective treatment with a high level of patient satisfaction among the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently identified Zinc-finger protein 768 (ZNF768) as a novel transcription factor controlling cell fate decision downstream of Rat sarcoma virus (RAS). We showed that ZNF768 depletion impairs cell cycle progression and triggers cellular senescence, while its overexpression allows cells to bypass oncogene-induced senescence. Elevated ZNF768 levels is common in tumors, suggesting that ZNF768 may help to escape cellular senescence, sustain proliferation and promote malignant transformation. Here, we discuss these recent findings and highlight key questions emerging from our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of one specific strain of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB), on the growth performance, health, and fecal bacterial profile of veal calves. A total of 84 animals were enrolled in an experiment at a commercial veal farm for a total of 7 wk. Calves were fed twice a day with a milk replacer meal during the entire experiment and were randomly assigned to receive daily either SCB supplementation (10 × 109 cfu/d) or a placebo (CON). Individual feed intake and body weight were monitored on a daily and weekly basis, respectively. Fecal samples were collected at arrival to the veal facility (wk 0) and additional samples were taken on d 14 (wk 2) and d 49 (wk 7). These samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using Illumina MiSeq (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) to examine the bacterial profiles and real-time quantitative PCR to quantify Saccharomyces cerevisiae and specific bacterial groups. The significant increase of S. cerevisiae in the feces of SCB calves at wk 2 and 7 compared with wk 0 (respectively 1.7 × 107, 1.2 × 107, and 2.2 × 105 copy number of S. cerevisiae /g of feces) indicates a good survival of that yeast strain along the gastrointestinal tract. Supplementation of SCB did not improve overall growth performance with regard to average daily gain (ADG), final body weight, and feed intake. Nevertheless, a total of 69.1% of nonsupplemented calves had diarrhea and 28.6% experienced severe diarrhea, whereas 50.0% of the calves supplemented with SCB had diarrhea and 9.5% experienced severe diarrhea. With respect to antibiotic use, 89.7% of the diarrheic calves recorded in the CON group were treated, whereas only 66.7% of the SCB diarrheic calves received an antibiotic. In addition, diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB maintained an ADG similar to nondiarrheic animals, whereas the CON diarrheic calves had a significantly lower ADG in comparison with nondiarrheic CON calves. Fecalibacterium was the most predominant bacterial genus in fecal samples of nondiarrheic and diarrheic calves supplemented with SCB, whereas fecal microbiota was predominated by Collinsella in diarrheic calves from the CON group. Live yeast supplementation in milk replacer led to a decrease of diarrhea in milk-fed veal calves and the fecal microbiota of diarrheic calves maintained a healthy community similar to nondiarrheic animals, with Fecalibacterium being the predominant genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at studying the catalytic activity of waste-derived chars for the reforming of a tar compound (ethylbenzene), and to identify the relationships between the modification process, the physicochemical properties and their resulting catalytic behaviour. Two chars were produced by pyrolysis: (1) used wood pallets (UWP), and (2) a mixture of food waste (FW) and coagulation-flocculation sludge (CFS) from wastewater treatment plant. Two chemical-free modification processes were separately applied to the pyrolysis chars: a gas phase oxygenation at 280 °C, or a steam activation at 850 °C. At 650 °C, the ethylbenzene conversion due to thermal cracking was significantly increased by the catalytic activity of the chars (from 37.2 up to 85.8%). Ethylbenzene was decomposed into six molecules: hydrogen, carbon dioxide, ethylene, benzene, styrene, and toluene. Cracking, oxidative dehydrogenation, and hydrogenolysis reactions were involved in the decomposition mechanism of ethylbenzene. The catalytic efficiency of the char was also discussed based on the energy transferred from tar to syngas during tar cracking reactions. The characterization, performed with SEM, XRD, Raman, XRF, BET and TPD-μGC, evidenced that the presence of mineral species in the metallic form strongly increased the syngas production and quality by catalysing aromatic-ring opening reactions and Boudouard reaction. The oxidation of mineral species, occurring during the oxygenation process, decreased the char efficiency, while rising S BET increased the syngas production for UWP-based chars. This study demonstrated that waste-based chars were efficient catalysts to convert the lost energy contained in tar into useful syngas, thus increasing simultaneously the syngas yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Industrial Emission Directive (IED) has strengthened the requirement to apply Best Available Techniques (BATs) first introduced by the IPPC Directive. The so-called “Sevilla Process”, which is the formal European process to define and revise BATs, is based upon an exchange of information among different stakeholders and relies on data analysis and expert judgements. If the process to collect and to share information between stakeholders at sectoral and installation levels is well defined, the determination of BATs and BAT-Associated Environmental Levels has evolved along with the revision of the BAT REFerence documents (BREFs). Nevertheless, no formal tool to support the analysis exists. The objective of this article is to present a 5-steps methodology aimed to classify installations according to two multicriteria approaches, either a representative angle or a performant approach, and then to identify reference installations, which would help to propose reference values and possible BATs. The methodology is supported by statistical tools (Principal Component analysis, hierarchical clustering) and algorithmic approach (MissForest). The application to French dairy sectors has validated the methodology and mathematical tools used. Two reference classes has been identified for the representative approach and 19 installations selected. For the performant installations, seven (7) installations has been selected. BATAELs for COD flow are proposed considering these classifications and an effort rate comprised between 23 and 96% has been revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste recovery is an integrated part of municipal solid waste management systems but its strategic planning is still challenging. In particular, the service area size of facilities is a sensitive issue since its calculation depends on various factors related to treatment technologies (output products) and territorial features (sources waste production and location). This work presents a systemic approach for the estimation of a chain's service area size, based on a balance between costs and recovery profits. The model assigns a recovery performance value to each source, which can be positive, neutral or negative. If it is positive, the source should be included in the facility's service area. Applied to the case of Montreal for food waste recovery by anaerobic digestion, the approach showed that at most 23 out of the 30 districts should be included in the service area, depending on the indicator, which represents around 127,000 t of waste recovered/year. Due to the systemic approach, these districts were not necessarily the closest to the facility. Moreover, for the Montreal case, changing the facility's location did not have a great influence on the optimal service area size, showing that the distance to the facility was not a decisive factor at this scale. However, replacing anaerobic digestion by a composting plant reduced the break-even transport distances and, thus, the number of sources worth collecting (around 68,500 t/year). In this way, the methodology, applied to different management strategies, gave a sense of the spatial dynamics involved in the recovery chain's design. The map of optimal supply obtained could be used to further analyse the feasibility of multi-site and/or multi-technology systems for the territory considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two biomass-based insulation materials were pelletized and burnt in a 20 kW boiler. • Only hemp fiber satisfied the non-industrial European pellet's legal requirements. • Pellets type affects gaseous and dust (PM) emissions but slightly boiler efficiency. • Emissions were reduced by blending hemp or wood fibers with DIN plus wood pellets. • PM emissions were dominated by submicron particles and affected by ash composition. To alleviate the unbearable pressure on forests in Europe, the use of lower quality woody materials or wastes and agricultural fuels is emerging for the production of heat. The two major challenges of using these types of fuels are associated with the chemical composition variability and some fuel characteristics that could trigger potential issues throughout the burning process. This study aimed to investigate the environmental and technical performance of a small-scale multi-fuel biomass heating boiler (20 kW) fired with DIN plus certified wood pellets and two granulated biomass-based insulation materials, namely hemp fibers and wood fibers under standard laboratory conditions. The boiler efficiency, particulate matter, and gaseous emissions were evaluated and compared to the legally permissible values specified in EN 303–5:2021. Hemp fiber pellets fulfilled the requirements for residential pellets, while wood fiber pellets showed lower durability and higher nitrogen and sulfur contents than the European standard limits. To respect the emissions regulation, blending wood fibers with certified wood is therefore necessary. Pellets type was noticed to significantly affect the gaseous and dust emissions but marginally the boiler efficiency. This latter was near 80 % for all fuels owing to high sensible and latent heat losses. Hemp fiber pellets showed high CO and dust emissions attributed to their high bulk density and high ash content, respectively, while the wood fiber pellets showed high NO x and SO x emissions accredited to their elemental composition. Gaseous and dust emissions were reduced through the blending of hemp and wood fibers with certified wood pellets. The particulate mass concentrations of the tested pellets fluctuated between 38 and 360 mg.Nm−3. Particulates were mainly composed of potassium, chlorine, sulfur, silicate, calcium, and zinc. From a number perspective, particles with diameters below 1 µm were dominant and their concentration varied between 104 and 106 particles.cm−3. Pelletized biomass-based insulation materials mixed with certified wood could be considered an attractive alternative fuel for residential biomass boilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The micro and mesopore distribution is one of the key of the char efficiency. • Steam physical activation of pyrolysis char is better than CO 2 to crack the tars. • Surface area and mineral composition are key properties to crack the tars. • The presence of steam in the syngas avoid the deactivation by the coke deposition. Millet and buckwheat husk are biomass residues from mills and are considered waste materials for which don't have identified alternative recovery currently. Pyrolysis can be an attractive option which is conducive to waste management – a key element of the circular economy. In view of this, chars were produced from millet and buckwheat husk through pyrolysis, followed by physical activation with either CO 2 or steam. Then, chars or activated chars produced were implemented in order to compared their capacity to remove tar from syngas. The tests were carried out at 650 °C and the syngas was composed of H 2 , CH 4 , CO, CO 2 and N 2 , with 40 g/Nm3 of ethylbenzene as tar surrogate. The results showed that biomasses with low ash content, but which contained particular species as K and Ca knowing to have a positive impact on the tar cracking, combined with high porosity performed better in syngas upgrading. The chars produced from buckwheat husk has both of this characteristic what allows them to be reactive to crack the tars. In this regard, steam activation appears to be a better option than CO 2 activation since it was able to create higher porosity as well as micro and mesopore level, and mineral species such as K and Ca were preserved in the solid phase. The aim of this paper is to investigate the recovery of local agricultural residue for conversion into useful material and energy vectors in the context of the circular economy through the pyro-gasification of buckwheat and millet husk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is a rare condition. Our aim was to study whether or not the pudendal nerve is involved in PGAD, by means of electromyographic (EMG) testing. Methods: Twenty-three women who fulfilled the five criteria of PGAD were included in this study. After an in-depth interview and routine investigations, a perineal EMG assessment was performed. Concentric needle electromyography (EMG) testing with motor unit potential analysis of the pelvic floor muscles (bulbocavernosus muscle and striated external anal sphincter), study of the sacral reflex latency (SRL), and measurement of pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) were performed. Results: Perineal ENMG demonstrated neurogenic changes in 14 (60.8%) of the patients. Denervation was found in all 14 patients with abnormal electrophysiological findings. Among them, 12 (85.7%) had altered PTNML and/or SRL. PTNML was delayed on the anal branch in 9 out of 14 (bilateral in 5 cases) and on the perineal branch in 9 out of 14 (bilateral in 6 cases). Conclusions: This study shows that pudendal neuropathy is frequent among women suffering from PGAD. However, due to the lack of a control group, involvement of pudendal neuropathy in the pathogenesis of PGAD remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Objectif Comparer le devenir obstétrical et néonatal selon le type de cicatrice utérine : myomectomie versus césarienne. Méthodes Étude de cohorte rétrospective réalisée dans un service universitaire de type 3 entre le 1 er janvier 2006 et le 1 er janvier 2012. Nous avons comparé 18 femmes ayant accouché après myomectomie (groupe exposé) à 72 femmes ayant accouché après césarienne (groupe non exposé). Les femmes de moins de 43 ans ayant bénéficié d’une myomectomie par voie cœlioscopique ou laparotomique étaient incluses. Le critère principal de jugement était le taux d’accouchement par voie basse. La voie d’accouchement, le taux de ruptures utérines, les complications de la délivrance et le devenir néonatal étaient étudiés. Résultats Le taux d’acceptation de la tentative de voie basse était de 55,6 % après myomectomie contre 84,7 % après césarienne ( p = 0,005). La réussite de la tentative de voie basse était de 88,9 % après myomectomie versus 73,9 % après césarienne (NS). Aucune rupture utérine n’est survenue après myomectomie contre 3 ruptures sous-péritonéales après césarienne. La survenue d’une hémorragie du post-partum ne différait pas significativement entre les deux groupes (11,1 % chez les exposés versus 6,9 % chez les non-exposés). Le taux de césarienne était d’autant plus élevé que le nombre d’hystérotomies était élevé ( p = 0,0047). Conclusion Cette étude semble montrer que l’accouchement par voie basse après myomectomie est possible avec un taux de réussite similaire à celui d’un utérus cicatriciel post-césarienne. Objective To compare delivery outcomes according to the scar: myomectomy versus low-segment transverse cesarean. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed in a university type 3 service between 1st January 2006 and 1st January 2012. We compared 18 women who gave birth after myomectomy (exposed group) to 72 women who gave birth after cesarean section (non-exposed group). Women younger than 43 years who underwent laparotomy or laparoscopic myomectomy were included. The primary endpoint was the rate of vaginal delivery. The route of delivery, the rate of uterine rupture, complications of delivery and neonatal outcome were studied. Results The acceptance rate of vaginal delivery was 55.6% after myomectomies versus 84.7% after cesarean section ( P = 0.005). The success of vaginal birth was 88.9% after myomectomy versus 73.9% after cesarean (NS). No uterine rupture has occurred after myomectomy against three sub-peritoneal rupture after cesarean. The occurrence of post-partum hemorrhage was not significantly different between the 2 groups (11.1% among exposed group versus 6.9% in the non-exposed group). The cesarean section rate was even higher than the number of hysterotomy was great ( P = 0.0047). Conclusion This study seems to show that vaginal birth after myomectomy is possible with a success rate similar to vaginal birth after cesarean section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen compounds in tars were investigated at temperature of 500 °C during the pyrolysis of three organic wastes (sewage sludge, food waste, wood) and their mixture, representatives of a common municipal waste. The analyses of both gaseous and condensed tars related the formation of up to respectively 14 and 72 nitrogen compounds, with widely forms of compounds. In gases, light nitriles (acetonitrile, propanenitrile) seemed to be the main products whereas, in condensed tars, several chemical families were represented: long chain nitriles and amides, pyrrolic and pyrrolidinic compounds and diketopiperazines (DKPs). Moreover, several compounds, rarely previously detected, were observed, such as oximes. All those nitrogen compounds probably originated from proteins but also from fatty acids and sugars. The nature of those compounds was found to be only slightly influenced when wastes have similar nitrogen functionalities contents, such as food waste and sewage sludge. That would suggest that reaction pathways for nitrogen compounds are similar for such wastes. For wood, its low nitrogen content hindered the detection of nitrogen products, which could be also due to a different reaction pathway for nitrogen. The mixture of those wastes had only slightly effects on nitrogen products and thus on the reaction pathway. Using nitrogen products, this paper was concluded with a possible reaction pathway for the nitrogen of sewage sludge and food waste during pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High morbidity and mortality rates of calves dramatically impact the sustainability of the dairy industry. Probiotics are investigated for their potential to alleviate health challenges. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SB) supplementation in pre-weaning calves. Thirty Holstein calves were enrolled at d6 of age and were offered daily 8 L of milk replacer with ad-libitum access to water and pelleted starter. Calves were balanced in term of parity of the dam and birth weight and randomly assigned to two experimental groups, designated as supplemented and Control. Supplemented calves received 2x109 cfu/d of SB added in the milk replacer. Every abnormal health condition, such as gut and respiratory disorders, as well as therapeutic treatments were recorded daily for each animal. A linear mixed model was performed to assess the impact of the supplementation on the different variables measured. Two fecal samples were collected at d10 and d60 of the trial to analyze bacteria diversity and taxonomic composition by amplicon sequencing. The overall health was improved in SB calves with fewer diarrhea cases detected compared with Controls (0.7 vs 2.2/calf, respectively, P = 0.001) and fewer SB calves experiencing respiratory disease (6.3 vs 50% respectively, P = 0.090). Along with those observations, a lower number of SB calves received a therapeutic treatment (18.8 vs 62.5% respectively, P = 0.029). Consequently, SB calves weighed 3 kg more compared with the Controls at the end of the experiment (P = 0.087). SB calves significantly presented a greater relative abundance of Akkermansia, a genus involved in immune system maturation, and a greater proportion of Lactobacillales and Negativicutes (lactate users) indicating likely better adaptation of their fecal microbiota to the milk diet than in Controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used cellular automata (CA) for the modeling of the temporal folding of proteins. Unlike the focus of the vast research already done on the direct prediction of the final folded conformations, we will model the temporal and dynamic folding process. To reduce the complexity of the interactions and the nature of the amino acid elements, lattice models like HP were used, a model that categorizes the amino acids regarding their hydrophobicity. Taking into account the restrictions of the lattice model, the CA model defines how the amino acids interact through time to obtain a folded conformation. We extended the classical CA models using artificial neural networks for their implementation (neural CA), and we used evolutionary computing to automatically obtain the models by means of Differential Evolution. As the iterative folding also provides the final folded conformation, we can compare the results with those from direct prediction methods of the final protein conformation. Finally, as the neural CA that provides the iterative folding process can be evolved using several protein sequences and used as operators in the folding of another protein with different length, this represents an advantage over the NP-hard complexity of the original problem of the direct prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to highlight the number evolution of free electrons in the drift region of a wire-cylinder electrostatic precipitator in negative voltage depends on the experimental parameters, more particularly of gas composition. A numerical model of the negative DC corona discharge developed by Chen et al. was used and modified to investigate the negative discharge corona for different gases. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effect on the electron distribution of operating conditions. The results showed the electron concentration increases with temperature, decreases when the pressure increases, and is closely related to gas composition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nowadays, due to environmental concerns, fast on-site quantitative analyses of soils are required. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy is a serious candidate to address this challenge and is especially well suited for multi-elemental analysis of heavy metals. However, saturation and matrix effects prevent from a simple treatment of the LIBS data, namely through a regular calibration curve. This paper details the limits of this approach and consequently emphasizes the advantage of using artificial neural networks well suited for non-linear and multi-variate calibration. This advanced method of data analysis is evaluated in the case of real soil samples and on-site LIBS measurements. The selection of the LIBS data as input data of the network is particularly detailed and finally, resulting errors of prediction lower than 20% for aluminum, calcium, copper and iron demonstrate the good efficiency of the artificial neural networks for on-site quantitative LIBS of soils. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The synthesis gas stemming from biomass gasification contains particles (ashes, soot, etc.), which, if not removed, can induce severe operational damage. The problem is more serious if syngas must be used for chemical synthesis as in the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst reaction or the water–gas shift. The particles contained in syngas can reduce or inhibit the catalyst effect. Moreover, for energy reasons, it is also necessary to develop a filtration process at as high a temperature as possible. To address this issue, a study to show the possibility of removing the particles from syngas with an electrostatic precipitator at high temperature (500–1000°C) and pressure (0.1–1MPa) was conducted. Syngas filtration tests conducted directly downstream of a gasifier demonstrated the feasibility of implementing an electrostatic precipitator to clean syngas at temperatures above 500°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this paper is to develop a numerical model that takes into account the share of the electric current produced by free electrons when an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) with a wire-cylinder geometry is supplied with a negative voltage and the carrier gas is nonpolar. This model improves the understanding of ESPs and highlights the parameters that affect the process behavior and the generation of free electrons. It takes into account the current stemming from the presence of free electrons. For this reason, a coefficient was developed and was expressed as a function of the temperature, pressure, and composition of the carrier gas. Experimental results obtained by other authors and laboratory measurements were compared with the model. The set of results showed that the numerical model developed in this paper is valid only in the presence of nonpolar gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a simple prediction tool based on a two-dimensional model is developed for a slab track system composed of two rails with rail pads, sleepers with sleeper pads, and a concrete base slab. The track and the slab are considered as infinite beams with bending stiffness, loss factor and mass per unit length. The track system is represented by its impedance per unit length of track and the ground by its line input impedance calculated using a two-dimensional elastic half-space ground model based on the wave approach. Damping of each track component is modelled as hysteretic damping and is taken into account by using a complex stiffness. The unsprung mass of the vehicle is considered as a concentrated mass at the excitation point on the rail head. The effect of the dynamic stiffness of the sleeper pads on the vibration isolation is studied in detail, the vibration isolation provided by the track system being quantified by an insertion gain in dB per one-third octave band. The second part of this paper presents an experimental test rig used to measure the dynamic stiffness of the sleeper pads on a full width section of the track (two rails). The experimental set-up is submitted to vertical as well as horizontal static loads (via hydraulic jacks) and an electrodynamic shaker is used for dynamic excitation of the system. The determination of the dynamic stiffness of the sleeper pads is based on the approach called the “direct method”. The limitations of the experimental set-up are discussed. The measurement results for one type of sleeper pad are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Throughout the grazing season, cows are exposed to forages of varying nutritive quality that must be efficiently utilized for reproductive and lactation performance for ranch profitability. Season, environment, and forage varieties can impact forage quality and animal performance. Supplementing active-dry yeast improves fiber digestibility; however, supplementing active-dry yeast to grazing, lactating beef cows has not been evaluated extensively. Therefore, the study objective was to evaluate the effects of feeding an active-dry yeast to range beef cows via free-choice mineral 30 d prior to calving through weaning on calf growth performance and cow body condition score (BCS). Multiparous red Angus cows (n = 436; 6.5 ± 1.9 yr) grazed open native rangeland near Medicine Lodge, Kansas from February to August 2023. At trial initiation, cows were sorted by initial BCS onto one of two mineral treatments: 1) CON; no yeast (n = 213 cows) or 2) SC 1077; Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 (1 x 1010 cfu/g; n = 223 cows). Mineral consumption was targeted at 113.4 g/d with fresh mineral added to feeders when depleted every 2 to 3 d. Mineral consumption and yeast viability was reported monthly. Individual calf birth weights were recorded on a 25% randomized sub-set group for each treatment due to management practice feasibility with treatment means extrapolated across the entire herd for calf gain calculations. At time of weaning, individual calf body weights (BW) and cow BCS were collected. The data were fitted using a linear model in R including treatment group, calf sex and cow age, wherein the difference between dietary groups was assessed through ANOVA. Statistical significance was considered at P ≤ 0.05. Neither treatment × cow age nor sex × treatment interactions were observed for all measured parameters (P ≥ 0.26). Mineral consumption (83.0 ± 9.1 g/d) was not different between the two treatments for the length of the trial (P = 0.55). Measured calf birth weights (31.9 ± 0.30 kg) were not different for the sub-set group (P = 0.44). Weaning weight, ADG, and BW gain were greater for SC 1077 calves compared with control calves for both the sub-set and entire herd (P ≤ 0.01). The SC 1077 mineral treatment improved cow BCS at time of weaning compared with controls for both sub-set groups and entire herd (P ≤ 0.02). Pregnancy rates were not different between treatments for the entire herd (P = 0.99) and the sub-set group (P = 0.32); however, a 6.8% numerical increase in pregnancy rate was observed for SC 1077. To conclude, providing SC 1077 via free-choice mineral improved cow BCS and calf growth parameters which could be attributed to improved cow rumen function and fiber digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermochemical process of gasification is widely utilized for bioenergy production and is particularly attractive due to its high conversion efficiency. However, a gasification byproduct, known as char, is commonly treated as industrial waste despite its attractive qualities. Indeed, due to its high carbon content (up to 91%) and well-developed porosity (specific surface areas up to 1253 m2 g−1), gasification char could be considered a cost-effective substitute for activated carbon in various applications, such as catalysis and adsorption. However, its properties are highly dependent on the gasification parameters and the initial feedstock selected, and thus a careful characterization of the material is needed to find the most suitable applications. This review can act as a preliminary assessment of the gasification along with the expected char properties, aiding in the selection of the most appropriate valorization pathways. In particular, different application areas, their relation to the gasification process, and the char properties are extensively discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. The objectives of this study were to determine if weaning would induce behavioral and physiological indicators of a negative affective state, and if supplementation of inactivated Lactobacillus helveticus (ILH) to dairy calves would reduce those indicators of negative affect during weaning. Male Holstein calves (n = 23) were enrolled in the study on d 1 of life. The calves were housed in individual pens in 1 of 4 rooms for the 42-d study. Calves began a step-down weaning from 9 L/d of milk replacer (MR), at 150 g of MR powder/L, on d 35 and received 6 L/d on d 35 to 36, 3 L/d on d 37 to 38, and 0.4 L/d on d 39 to 42. The MR was divided between 3 meals/d until the last 0.4 L/d phase, which was divided between 2 meals/d. Calves had ad libitum water access throughout the study and calf starter from d 28 onward. Within room, calves were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: (1) control (CON; n = 11) and (2) 5 g of ILH/d split over and mixed into the 0800 h and 2000 h milk feedings from d 3 to 42 (ILH; n = 12). Lying behavior was recorded using HOBO data loggers from d 21 to 41. On d 33, 37, and 41, infrared eye images were taken to determine maximum eye temperature (MET), saliva samples were collected to determine cortisol concentration, and play assessments were conducted to quantify play behavior. On d 34, 38, and 42, blood samples were collected to determine blood serotonin concentration, whereas on d 38 and 39, calves were tested with a cognitive task. A subset of calves (n = 5/treatment) were euthanized to collect gut and brain tissue samples for serotonin concentration on d 43. Weaning resulted in fewer (d 37–41; tendency: d 36), but longer (d 38–41; tendency: d 37), lying bouts and reduced play (d 41), although no changes in lying time, MET, saliva cortisol, nor blood serotonin were detected with initiation of weaning. Supplementation of ILH was associated with less lying time throughout the study, and reduced play duration and higher salivary cortisol during weaning. No differences in lying bouts, play count, blood and tissue (colon, ileum, prefrontal cortex and brain stem) serotonin concentration, and time to complete the cognitive task were detected between the treatments. Overall, weaning induced behavioral changes indicative of negative affective state, and some behavioral differences were observed with ILH supplementation both before and during weaning, with some physiological changes observed during weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional management strategies that may increase a calf's susceptibility to morbidity and mortality, the efficacy and sustainability of antibiotics as a tool for managing calf health and welfare, and the potential for direct-fed microbials (DFM) as an alternative therapy for promoting calf wellbeing. The first line of intervention for improving calf welfare should be the optimization of the nutritional management strategies that are employed. Thereafter, additives that support the development of the growing calf can be further investigated. The literature reviewed indicates that there is an increased research interest in the administration of DFMs to pre-weaned calves. The priority for calf rearing has been to maintain good health and welfare in order to promote and sustain future production. However, there have been numerous reports of undesirable levels of morbidity and mortality amongst pre-weaned calves. This may be mitigated or exacerbated by nutritional management practices. Some areas of concern include colostrum feeding, utilization of waste milk, and restrictive milk feeding regimes. Antibiotics may be prescribed at lethal or sub-inhibitory doses to treat or prevent disease. However, extensive antibiotic use may disrupt the gastrointestinal microbiota and aid in expanding the antibiotic resistant gene pool. In an attempt to reduce the use of antibiotics, there is a demand to find alternative performance enhancers. Direct-fed microbials, also known as probiotics, may comply with this role. A DFM consists of live microorganisms that are biologically active and able to confer health benefits onto the host. Lactic acid bacteria have been the most frequently investigated; however, this field of research has expanded to include spore-forming bacteria and live yeast preparations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional management strategies that may increase a calf's susceptibility to morbidity and mortality, the efficacy and sustainability of antibiotics as a tool for managing calf health and welfare, and the potential for DFMs as a supportive strategy for promoting calf wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) aims to achieve a high level of protection of the environment as a whole and of human health. In this purpose, the IED requires the implementation of techniques with performance equivalent to the Best Available Techniques (BATs) described in the reference documents (BREFs). However, when drawing up or revising a BREF at European level, it is not possible to cover each industrial sector or subsector for all or some of the Key Environmental Issues (KEI). There are then different types of situations for which BREFs are incomplete or non-existent. Industrial plants involved in these activities without reference are not exempt from implementing BATs. However, the lack of reference technologies "officially" considered as BATs may lead operators to skip their installations concerned in their BAT analysis and/or the competent authority not to fully check BAT compliance. In view of these observations, this article is aimed at studying the possibility of using the methodological approaches available in the scientific and grey literature to compare the performance of an installation to BATs in the absence of an official and complete BAT reference. Following the description of the research methodology that enabled to conduct this literature review, this article first examines whether methods designed for local use can address this problem. Noting that this is not the case, the possibility to use sectoral methods to build a local BAT reference is also studied. Finally, key specifications for a suitable methodology to address this problem are proposed. Image 1 • This article presents a literature review about the assessment of BAT compliance in the absence of a sectoral reference. • First, it is examined whether methods designed for local use can address this problem. • Then, the possibility to use existing sectoral methods to build a local BAT reference is studied. • Six essential steps to determine BATs at local level are presented with their associated bottlenecks. • Key specifications are proposed to create a methodology to compare the performance of an installation with BATs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method is proposed for predicting in situ sound levels generated by structure-borne sound sources in buildings from input quantities defined in the newly revised measurement standards EN 15657 (Laboratory measurement of service equipment) and EN ISO 10848-1 (Laboratory and field measurement of flanking transmissions), which lead to using the prediction method defined in EN ISO 12354-1 for airborne sound insulation. The method proposed is valid for any source-receiver conditions and for any type of construction, lightweight or heavyweight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-distance transport can cause stress to beef cattle impairing health and growth performances. This study aimed to deepen the knowledge of the effects of long-distance transport on young bulls' metabolic profile to identify reliable blood parameters for monitoring their health and welfare. Eighty Charolais young bulls, transported for 12 hours to the final fattening unit, were weighed and blood sampled at three time intervals: before leaving the commingling centre (day −1), upon arrival at the fattening unit (day 0), and 7 days post-arrival (day 7). These bulls were part of a larger study aimed at testing whether the animals have some benefit from the supplementation of live yeast and selenium through slow-release rumen boluses that were administered to half of them before departure from France ('Yeast' vs 'Control' group). The effect of the supplementation on the parameters considered in this study was included in the statistical analysis to account for the structure of the experimental design. Transport affected the initial body weight of the animals, which dropped on day 0 and it was not fully recovered on day 7. Most plasma traits of protein, energy, hepato-muscle, and mineral profiles were affected by transport. Cortisol was also assessed and peaked at day 0. The footprint of the long-distance transport on bulls' metabolic profile indicated a combination of stress, energy deficit, and muscle damage, with a certain degree of dehydration and liver impairment. Plasma traits measured on day −1 highlighted that stressful conditions and physiological responses of the bulls to recover homeostasis already started during the commingling phase before departure. No effect of supplementation was detected, except for higher selenium plasma level in Yeast bulls at day 7. Among blood parameters, non-esterified fatty acids, total protein, cortisol, glucose, and iron were those responsible for most of the variation in metabolic profile of bulls undergoing long journey. Therefore, these traits might be used as major biomarkers to assess stress in transported beef cattle, helping to identify critical situations for which proper mitigating actions should be taken. The outcomes of this study suggested that preventive measures against transport stress in beef cattle should start at the commingling of the animals in the collection centers, thus before departure. • Metabolic profiling helps to monitor stress in transported beef cattle. • Stress and physiological responses begin during the commingling phase. • Long-distance transport affects the metabolic profile beyond the post-travel period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of pelleted starter diets differing in starch and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content when fed differing levels of milk replacer (MR) on nutrient digestibility, whole gastrointestinal tract fermentation, pH, and inflammatory markers in dairy calves around weaning. Calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (n = 12 per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial design based on daily MR allowance and amount of starch in pelleted starter (SPS): 0.691 kg of MR per day [dry matter (DM) basis] with starter containing low or high starch (12.0% and 35.6% starch on DM basis, respectively), and 1.382 kg of MR per day (DM) with starter containing low or high starch. All calves were housed in individual pens with straw bedding until wk 5 when bedding was covered. Calves were fed MR twice daily (0700 and 1700 h) containing 24.5% crude protein (DM) and 19.8% fat (DM), and had access to pelleted starter (increased by 50 g/d if there were no refusals before weaning and then 200 g/d during and after weaning) and water starting on d 1. Calves arrived between 1 and 3 d of age and were enrolled into an 8-wk study, with calves undergoing step-down weaning during wk 7. Starting on d 35, an indwelling pH logger was inserted orally to monitor rumen pH until calves were dissected at the end of the study in wk 8. Higher SPS calves showed an increase in rumen pH magnitude (1.46 ± 0.07) compared with low SPS calves (1.16 ± 0.07), a decrease in rumen pH in wk 8 (high SPS: 5.37 ± 0.12; low SPS: 5.57 ± 0.12), and a decrease in haptoglobin in wk 8 (high SPS: 0.24 ± 0.06 g/L; low SPS: 0.49 ± 0.06 g/L). The majority of differences came from increased starter intake in general, which suggests that with completely pelleted starters the differences in starch and NDF do not elicit drastic changes in fermentation, subsequent end products, and any resulting inflammation in calves around weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of the oxidizing agent used in the physical activation of pyrolysis chars on activated carbons (AC), and their efficiency in tar cracking. The materials are produced from buckwheat husk, which is a French local biomass. Slow pyrolysis was chosen to favor the production of raw chars. Activated chars were then prepared by physical activation under steam or CO 2. The materials produced were physically and chemically characterized before being implemented in a fixed bed. The efficiency of materials in removing tar from syngas was studied, and ethylbenzene (EB) was chosen as the tar surrogate. The purification efficiency of the chars and AC was deduced from the EB conversion profiles in comparison with thermal cracking. The nature of the oxidizing agent impacted the porosity and mineral composition of the AC produced: CO 2 activation produced ACs with more carbon and less ash content. This is because the reduction of carbon with carbon dioxide presents a kinetic between 2 and 5 times slower than that conducted in the presence of steam. CO 2 activation also resulted in a higher relative microporosity (89%) than steam activation (61%), which itself gives a higher surface area. Pyrolysis char did not generate any interest for EB catalytic cracking, whereas ACs demonstrated higher performances. This is due to their higher level of porosity and higher ash content. BH–H 2 O, which presents higher porosity, produced a better catalytic effect and was more resistant to deactivation. • Oxidizing agent impact the activated carbon features and its reactivity. • Steam physical activation of pyrolysis char is better than CO 2 to crack the tars. • Surface area and mineral composition are key properties to crack the tars. • One of the reason of char and activated carbon deactivation is the coke deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a method to predict buildings' energy efficiency based on available descriptive information and without a physical visit, by merging diverse datasets and employing advanced classification techniques. By integrating geographical, structural, legal, and socio-economic data with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) observations, our approach yields a rich learning set. Through variable selection methods like forward selection with KNN and simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation for fuzzy KNN, we refine model variables. Comparing fuzzy and hard classification using KNN, Kriging or Random Forest approaches, we find fuzzy classification more adept at capturing nuanced energy inefficiency indicators. Our study highlights the importance of mass energy efficiency prediction for sustainable renovation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid acid catalyst was produced from olive pomace (OP), characterized and used for the esterification of OP oil. OP was pyrolyzed, physical activated by steam and sulfonated using sulfuric acid. Commercial, coconut husk-based, activated carbon (CHAC) was also sulfonated for comparison. The activation has shown a significant increase in olive pomace activated carbon (OPAC) surface area by developing simultaneously its micro and meso-porosity. The sulfonation has further increased OPAC BET surface area to reach 618.18 m2/g and has changed its structure to become microporous. Sulfonation also removed tar residues and aliphatic hydrocarbons from OPAC's surface. Tendencies observed with carbon CHAC, used for comparison, are slightly different with a mesoporosity development. Although its higher surface area (1227.01 m2/g), CHAC has fixed three times less sulfur than OPAC, which can be attributed to its higher hydrophobicity or pore distribution. Sulfur was mainly fixed in the form of sulfonic acid (SO 3 H). Esterification with methanol using produced solid catalysts decreased OPO acidity below the 2 mg KOH /g threshold after 5 h of reaction and reduced mono, di and triglycerides to levels close to the ones required by European norm EN14214. • Olive Pomace (OP) is suitable for activated carbon (AC) production. • Sulfonation of olive pomace leads to a good specific surface. • Sulfonated OPAC's structural characteristics allows it to be used as solid catalyst. • Sulfonated AC gives better catalytic performances as compared to H 2 SO 4. • Hydrophobicity of AC has significant effects on SO 3 H fixation and on catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a context of massive renovation of residential buildings, stakeholders need decision-support models based on knowledge of the current building stock and accurate simulation of energy demand. This paper presents a new strategy for reducing energy consumption in the building sector, a key factor in combating climate change and promoting sustainability. We introduce an approach to (1) plan retrofits at community level, with a building resolution, for different years of an optimization period and (2) assist local authorities in selecting effective measures to improve the environmental performance of their building stock. The focus is on creating trajectory retrofit plans creation for a building stock with three main retrofit options: improving insulation, heating systems and hot water systems. We adapt a complex but linear approach, a type of problem-solving structure known as a multidimensional multiple-choice knapsack problem, which manages to handle a large number of possible retrofit combinations without becoming unwieldy. The planning process is streamlined as a single-objective optimization task that aims to reduce the total cost of retrofits by reducing their net present value. The efficiency of the model is demonstrated by simulating retrofit scenarios for 4,000 buildings in a French region to prove its ability to tackle large problems. France's targets for decarbonizing the residential sector are taken into account, with a target of reducing GHG emissions by a factor of 10 and a building stock consuming 80kWhEP/m2/year. The results show that these plans are feasible, but that they will require 50% of all buildings to undergo major renovation with abatement costs of around €200/tGES. Our practical application to an actual community demonstrates the model's ability to identify appropriate retrofitting measures and compile building data. • Development of an energy optimization framework integrating a linear simulation model. • Multi-stage optimization generalizing the knapsack problem for building renovation dynamics. • Bridging the gap in energy retrofit strategies by comparing decision-maker and model proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize the development of systemic and colon tissue resident B and γδ T cells in newborn calves from birth until weaning. At birth, calves have limited capacity to initiate immune responses, and the immune system gradually matures over time. Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are an important lymphocyte subset in neonatal calves that confer protection and promote immune tolerance. A total of 36 newborn calves were enrolled in a longitudinal study to characterize how systemic and colon tissue resident B and γδ T cells develop from birth until weaning. Blood and colon biopsy samples were collected on d 2, 28, and 42 to determine the proportions of various B and γδ T cell subsets by flow cytometry. We classified γδ T cells into different functional subsets according to the level of expression intensity of the coreceptors WC1.1 (effector function) and WC1.2 (regulatory function). Furthermore, naive B cells were classified based on the expression IgM receptor, and activation state was determined based on expression of CD21 and CD32, 2 receptors with opposing signals involved in B cell activation in early life. Additional colon biopsy samples were used for 16S sequencing, and microbial diversity data are reported. At birth, γδ T cells were the most abundant lymphocyte population in blood, accounting for 58.5% of the lymphocyte pool, after which the proportions of these cells declined to 38.2% after weaning. The proportion of γδ T cells expressing WC1.1 decreased by 50% from d 2 to d 28, whereas no change was observed in the expression of WC1.2. In the colon, there was a 50% increase of γδ T cells after weaning and the proportion of WC1.2+ γδ T cells doubled from d 28 to 42. The proportion of IgM+ B lymphocytes in blood increased from 23.6% at birth to 30% after weaning, were the proportion of B cells expressing CD21 increased by 25%, while the proportion of B cells expressing CD32 decreased by 30%. While no changes were observed for the overall proportion of IgM+ B lymphocytes in the colon, there was a 6-fold increase in the proportion of CD21+ B cells from pre- (d 28) to postweaning (d 42). Microbial diversity increased from d 2 of life to 28 and declined abruptly after weaning. The reduction in microbial diversity during weaning was negatively correlated with the increase in all γδ T cell subsets and CD21+ B cells. These data suggest that developmental adaptations after birth coordinate expansion of γδ T cells to provide early systemic protection, as well as to steer immune tolerance, while B cells mature over time. Additionally, the increase of colonic γδ T cells on d 42 suggests a protective role of these cells during weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a context of massive renovation of residential housing, stakeholders need decision-support tools based on knowledge of the current building stock and an accurate simulation of energy demand. For this purpose, we developed a val- idation/calibration method on a territorial/national scale in order to represent the real consumption of housing. This methodological approach provides (1) more reliable identification of energy-saving measures (changes in technology or behaviour) and (2) improved knowledge of the energy simulation tool and its post-calibration performance for optimisation issues. The main contribution of the calibration method described in this paper is the geographical scale concerned: all French residential housing has been modelled, simulated and calibrated with national data (geometries and attributes) on buildings. Furthermore, some occupants' socio-professional characteristics have been taken into account to reflect their actual energy behaviours. This is different from traditional approaches that focus only on a few buildings or archetypes. This paper also describes the application of this methodology on an Open Source simulation software in order to be easily verifiable and usable. This linear model will also be used to optimise renovation solutions at territorial scale in future work. All data used in this paper are Open Data and thus available to the scientific community. This method enabled more than 18 million buildings to be calibrated while reducing the Normalized Root Mean Square Error, between simulated and real energy annual consumption, from 52% to 24% for gas and from 24% to 15% for electricity. In addition, the user of the method is free to prioritise either the maximum error reduction or the number of calibration coefficients if a simpler model is desired. This paper also discusses the results obtained from this method for future improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reveals that FIGNL1 and FIRRM cooperate to promote the disassembly of RAD51 during DNA repair, particularly in response to interstrand DNA cross-links (ICLs). They identified FIRRM as a sensitizer to ICL-inducing agents and demonstrated that it contributes to the resolution of RAD51 foci at ICL-induced double-strand breaks. The findings provide insights into the complex mechanisms underlying DNA repair and suggest that FIRRM plays.

This paper aims at highlighting considerations on the sludge status and subsequent Life Cycle Assessment modeling if a paradigm shift arose by moving from “waste” sludge to “product” sludge. Forty-four peer-reviewed papers of Life Cycle Assessment in the field of wastewater treatment have been critically reviewed to highlight the consequences of this paradigm shift on the Life Cycle Assessment method and to identify the impacts on the goal and scope step of Life Cycle Assessment questioned by the sludge status (“waste”, “waste-to-product” or “product” sludge). Results show that sludge is mainly considered as “waste-to-product” sludge. The “zero burden assumption” is always applied and sludge is never charged with an environmental burden associated with its production. This is not questionable when sewage sludge is considered as “waste” or “waste-to-product” sludge with energy recovery. However, this is becoming more debatable when sludge is considered as “product” sludge or as “waste-to-product” sludge with nutrient or material recovery. In such cases, the “zero burden assumption” is a no longer valid hypothesis as the sludge life-cycle needs to be fully considered. This can only be done if the sludge carries an upstream environmental burden. Allocating an environmental burden to the sludge appears as a challenging question requesting allocation factors between the sludge production and the water treatment for each step that generates sewage sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Industrial Emission Directive (IED) has strengthened the requirement to apply Best Available Techniques (BATs) previously introduced by the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Protection and Control) Directive. BATs in the European Union are defined and revised through an official framework: the Sevilla Process. It describes a step-by-step procedure of information exchange among stakeholders supported by data analysis and expert judgements. However, it lacks formal tools, applicable at each step, to support data analysis and the decision process leading to the determination of BATs and BAT-Associated Environmental Performance Levels (BATAPELs). This article is aimed at reviewing the methodological approaches available in the scientific literature since the late 90s for regional or local applications. This literature review begins with a presentation of the legal context in which the BATs are used, especially under the IED. Then, the methodology used to establish the literature review is detailed; followed by an analysis of the different methods. The outcome is an identification of their objectives, methodological approaches and limits in the case of BAT determination for an industrial sector and the comparison of site performance with identified BATs with a view to selecting techniques adapted to a given installation. From the literature review, seven steps to determine and apply BATs are deduced: (1) Scope and objective definitions; (2) Knowledge of the sector studied to identify key performance indicators; (3) Identification of representative installations; (4) Data collection; (5) Selection of a list of BATs and determination of BATAELs; (6) Site performance analysis and comparison with BATs; (7) Selection of the most appropriate BATs. Finally, this proposition is discussed and perspectives are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]